Smiling on the Inside
by Shashuko the Paisley Maiden
Summary: Short SasuNaru drabble. Naruto's been defeated by his teme once again and asks a question. Why won't Sasuke come back?


hiii thar! since my sister and brother got new video games, I haven't been able to work much on my main fics. in the meantime, here's a SasuNaru drabble I did on my mom's computer:

...

When I was young, I never smiled. Well, not on the inside. I smiled outwardly all the time, but on the inside I was lonely.

Then, he came into my life. He mocked me and made it a point to be better than me at everything from taijutsu to making onigiri. When he was put on my gennin team, I was genuinely upset. I was sure he was going to make my life a hell as he had for the past five years.

But, when I thought he had died, I was angry. I wanted him to live.

When it turned out that Sasuke was alive, that was the first time I smiled on the inside and the outside. We got back to Konoha, and it may have seemed to anyone else that we were even more hateful of each other than before, but at that moment in time, we ere only teasing.

Then, he left the village. I tried my hardest to get him back, but all I got for my efforts was injured ribs and Sasuke's scratched headband. I left on a long training mission, trying to be able to bing Sasuke back, but the next time I saw the bastard, he only beat me again.

And here we were a third time. And there I was, once again defeated. Why does it always end up like this? Is God himself (or herself, as the case may be) working against us being together?

"Sasuke..." I muttered, crawling forward on the ground. "Sasuke... you've killed your brother... why won't you come back?"

While I was on my stomache, inching towards Sasuke in a pool of my own blood, the man I had once called my brother was standing on his own two feet, the only sign that I had attacked him being the slight indentation in his stomache I'd made with my rasengan-- I'd barely grazed him.

He walked to where I lay and crouched down so that his knees were at my eye level.

"Naruto," he said. He gently took my chin in one of his hands. "I met someone who told me something about my brother, something that makes it clear that merely killing Itachi won't satisfy those many who need to be avenged. Once that's done with, I'll come back... if they'll let me."

I tried to edge away from the hand on my face, before I let myself think it meant more than it did. I'd let my heart be broken by Sasuke's goals more than once, and I wasn't about to have it happen again.

But Sasuke only grabbed my face with his other hand. Carefully, he helped me up and slung my arm over his shoulder.

"Come on, dobe." he said. "Let's get you to those teammates of yours so they can take you to Konoha hospital."

As if on cue, Kakashi, Sakura and Sai ran into the clearing where Sasuke and I had fought.

Sai smiled annoyingly. "Ah, Uchiha Sasuke. Would you be so kind as to let my teammate down?"

"He's not _your_ teammate, he's _mine_," Sasuke said, his voice dangerously low, "You're just filling in until I get back."

"Keep telling yourself that, Sasuke," said Sai. "Keep telling yourself that."

I felt Sasuke tense up. "I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you," he threatened.

"He never does, Sasuke," I chuckled, though it hurt to talk. "Leave him be."

Sasuke closed his eyes in resignation. Then, they snapped back open.

"Sakura!"

Sakura nodded apprehensively. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"Take Naruto from me. I don't trust Sai with him."

Sai looked slightly annoyed, though he still smiled in his cat-like manner. "You're not exactly one to talk, are you?"

Sasuke only glared at Sai, then shifted me onto Sakura. "I said it before, _replacement_, and I'll say it again: Naruto's _mine_." He grabbed my chin for the second time that day and gave me a swift kiss. "I can't trust you with Naruto because you don't seem to realize this."

Sasuke turned back to me, and I had a feeling his was highly aware of the blush on my face. "Naruto... I have to complete my vengeance. But once I do, I'll come back. I'll come to Konoha and to you." His lips brushed against my forehead and he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

And, for the first time in a long time, I smiled not just on the outside, but on the inside as well.

Because someday, Sasuke's coming back to me.


End file.
